Foster care will appear in the news several times in the coming weeks and I could not be happier. This is a subject we constantly draw attention to because the need for foster parents never subsides. With 850 foster children in Hamilton County on any given day, we constantly search for parents who are kind enough to open their hearts and homes to our children.

On April 27, we are working with WCPO Channel 9 on a phone bank that will help recruit foster parents to our Everyday Heroes Collaborative. The station has agreed to feature foster families and help us spread the word about the need for foster parents.

On May 2, we are participating with a group of entities that work with foster children to host MayDay for Foster Children on Fountain Square. The event, scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature speeches by local dignitaries and foster care experts – slated to start at noon – as well as information booths to educate interested parties on the positive aspects of foster parenting, mentoring, helping children through the child protection court process and more.

On May 18, the annual Butterflies and Blue Ribbons foster family appreciation event is scheduled for Krohn Conservatory at Eden Park. This is always a nice event because it is our chance to say thanks to those families that have stepped up and vowed to change a child’s life and make their community a better place to live.